1851 Exhibition Bottle - Flow Blue International Collectors Club

VOLUME 26, NUMBER 5
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012
Mulberry Prattware
1851 Exhibition Bottle
FLOW BLUE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS’ CLUB, INC.
The FBICC is organized to stimulate, educate, and maintain interest in the collection and study of Flow Blue,
Mulberry, and related fields of china, and to promote the exchange of information regarding same between
members worldwide.
OFFICERS:
President - Katrina Franklin (GA)
1st Vice President - Brenda Meyer (MO)
2nd Vice President - Margaret Taylor (IN)
Past President - Jerry Taylor (IN)
Treasurer - Ray Schomas (IL)
Secretary - Bill Wetherton (KY)
Membership Chair - Marilyn Holm (MI)
Webmaster - Ken Gallagher (MO)
Newsletter Editor - Cindy Neff (IN)
Legal Advisor/Liaison - Jon Houserman (MI)
Education Chair - Helen Swan (KS)
Please send all news, notes, articles, photos, and
Blueberry Market items to:
Editor - CINDY NEFF
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
E-mail Address: XXXXXXXX
For change of address and membership information,
please contact the
Membership Chairperson:
Marilyn Holm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
REGIONAL DIRECTORS:
Region 1 - Heidi Woolf (PA)
Region 2 - Bob Ferriani (IN)
Region 3 - Judith Boles (SC)
Region 4 - Judy Boyer (CO)
Region 5 - John Provine (OK)
Region 6 - Charlie Washer (AZ)
FBICC Membership
P.O. Box 5427
Naperville, IL 60567-5427
Cover photos courtesy of
Ellen Hill
Table of Contents
Blue Berry Notes is the official newsletter of the FBICC.
Photographs submitted by members become the
property of the FBICC, Inc. and no article, photograph
or drawing may be reproduced without the express
permission of the FBICC, Inc.
Use of photos in BBN does not imply that the item is
either Flow Blue or Mulberry.
President and Editor Letters .................................... 3
Alcock Revisited .......................................................... 4
Bear Grease to Bloater Paste.................................... 6
A Snug Little Nest....................................................... 8
My Two Cents Worth .............................................. 11
Invitation to White Ironstone Meeting .............. 11
The Rare and Unusual Piece ................................ 12
From the Pattern Identification Desk ................ 14
Pattern Request ........................................................ 14
Reg. 4 News: Stage Coach Stops & Flow Blue 15
It’s Never Too Late for a Gift ............................... 15
Bill Leach Profile ...................................................... 16
A Season of Good Wishes ...................................... 18
Quiz Corner and Guest Quiz Master .................. 19
Blueberry Market ..................................................... 20
Club Bulletin Board ................................................. 22
Condolences - Flikeid ............................................. 22
Holiday Bluetique .................................................... 23
More Paste Jars and Pot Lids ............................... 24
Editor - Cindy Neff
Assistant Editors - Agnes Holst , Heidi Woolf and
Brenda Meyer
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE January 15, 2013
For website items, please contact the webmaster:
Ken Gallagher - surf4blue@earthlink.net
FBICC website:
www.flowblue.org
2
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Katrina Franklin
FROM THE EDITOR
Cindy Neff
In October, you should have received the FBICC Membership
Survey. Those with an email address were sent an email with a
link to the survey; the other members received a hard copy. If you
haven’t completed the survey and
need another one, please email or
call Marilyn Holm (contact information on page 2). The board
strives to meet the wants and needs of the members, and
since the last survey was done in 1996, we need your
feedback to determine if we are going in the right direction. We’re anxious to compare the two surveys and will
give the results in 2013!
Our neighbor has a pool and no trees.
We have trees and no pool. While you
may be hanging festive garland and
decking the halls with evergreen
boughs as you read this, I have just
come in from an October afternoon
of desperation. It is a little known fact that leaves are
fatally attracted to pool water. Pool water is the Fort
Myers, Florida, or Green Valley, Arizona, of the leaf
world. They would rather winter in a scummy mass in
my neighbor's pool than anywhere else in the world.
The biggest problem? I like autumn leaves. I like the
rustle. I like the crunch. I like the slow fall to earth
when they finally let go. I can look at them on the lawn
all day long and not care one bit. Mostly, I like the color.
There have been many surveys compiled by consumer
groups and marketing firms about the way people spend
money. Many people watch certain items closely (drive
out of the way to save a few cents on gas - buy the store
brand - go to the warehouse stores) but then go to the
mall and “splurge” on a new pair of shoes, jacket, shirt
and tie! It’s a way to reward ourselves and, therefore,
justified. We all do this, maybe with different things, and
we know what our favorite splurge items are. (Maybe that
last Flow Blue/Mulberry sugar bowl is one that’s justified
in the same way?) The membership to FBICC is one of
my basics, and the contribution to the Educational Fund
is one of my splurges. There are few things you can buy
for $45 and get so much enjoyment, information, and
education that lasts the entire year. The FBICEF provides many extras that the club could not afford to
“splurge” on but are enjoyed by everyone. Color pictures
in BBN, educational supplements, even part of the new
Website costs are paid by your contributions to the Educational Fund, which are tax deductible.
The color of autumn leaves sends me to the cabinets to
free the mulberry, particularly the polychrome pieces.
While some like to decorate with mulberry in the spring
with pastel pinks and yellows and lavenders, give me a
PERUVIAN tall pot on an October day with a little
pumpkin nestled at its base and bittersweet twining up
the handle for true beauty.
By the time you read this, December will be close at
hand. Don't judge me harshly if the Christmas things
stay in their boxes a while longer and the mulberry lingers
a bit. It reminds me of the crisp autumn leaves, and
helps me forget the ones still in the neighbor’s pool.
May your fleeting autumn and jolly holidays be blessed
with good mulberry and good neighbors.
FBICC renewal forms are included in the envelope with
this issue of BBN. There are new payment options available to make it easier to get it done before it’s forgotten.
(I find that works best for me when there’s so much going on at this time of year.) Be generous with your
FBICEF contribution so all of us can enjoy spending and
sharing our collective “splurges.”
2013 Blue Berry Notes Publication Schedule
Issue
Jan/Feb
March/April
May/June/July
Aug/Sept
Oct/Nov/Dec
Deadline
January 15th
March 15th
May 15th
August 15th
October 15th
Happy New Year!
Distributed
Late Feb.
Late April
Late June
Late Sept.
Late Nov.
FBICC 2012-2013 Calendar
Convention in Columbus, Ohio
July 24-28, 2013
3
Samuel Alcock Revisited
By Jan Kobach (left)
and Helen Swan (right)
Please note that the soup tureen does not have a tally mark
to help us with our investigation. Tally marks are the personal signs placed on by
brush by the painter or
team of painters. It is
thought that these tally
numbers, letters or
symbols were used as a
payment guide for paying the workers and as a form of quality control. Tally
marks are helpful as an identification guide because some
potters used them and others did not. Listed below are
the potters who used or did not use tally marks.
Have you ever worked
on a project so long
that you thought you
knew everything there
was to know? Well,
we did, and as Agatha Christie’s detective, Hercule Peroit,
would say, our “little gray cells” kept on working. Lo and
behold, we suddenly found a lot more information. As
luck would have it, the BBN editor asked for an update
of the new information presented in the 2012 Convention. I think you will find, as we did, there are some new,
interesting points worth knowing about Samuel Alcock.
Used Tally Marks
Alcock - frequently
Davenport – occasionally
Minton – frequently
Ridgway – occasionally
Wedgwood – often
One of the key points we stressed in both the booklet
and the presentation were pattern identification tools
helpful in investigating unknown china by Alcock and
that of other potters. Believe us; it is not as easy as it
looks. For example, examine this
polychrome soup
tureen. Is it Alcock
or not? Your clues
are the pattern
number of 7838
printed in red and a
registration mark of
December 4, 1845.
So what does this
tell us? Well, we
know that Alcock
printed his pattern
numbers in red, both in regular and
fraction forms. It is estimated that,
by 1839, he was in the 7000s. Oops,
that is not a good sign (7838), since
this piece was made in 1845. Still it is
the right period and the body style
could easily be Alcock’s. What do
you do next?
The first step
would be to look up the registration mark in Godden’s book, New
Handbook of British Pottery and
Porcelain Marks, pictured in this
article. We found the mark, December 4, 1845. Surprise! Wrong
again. This tureen was made by
Ridgway, NOT Alcock! Oh well,
here is another piece for our
“almost” Alcock collection.
Did Not Use Tally Marks
Adams – none
Bourne – none
Spode – rarely
Copeland/Garrett – rarely
The list above, compiled by Godden, will not tell you who
made a particular piece without other information, but by
process of elimination, it could tell you who most likely
did not make it.
One of our most important finds had to do with registration marks. As explained in the Alcock booklet, English
potters could register both their designs and patterns in
accordance with the Design Copyright Act of 1842 and
then the amended act of 1868. To do so, a potter would
contact the registers of design, the National Archives
which was often called KEW. To register a design, a potter would send a drawing of a new form. A print from a
copper plate, certainly more accurate in appearance, was
submitted for protection of a new pattern. Once the registration process was completed, potters placed registration marks on their china. From Godden, we know that
Samuel Alcock registered thirteen designs and/or patterns.
Below are the only three registration marks we have found
to date. Unfortunately, there was a great inconsistency
among potters registering their designs and patterns:
some did many and others few or none. For some reason,
4
Samuel Alcock Revisited
registration marks
on porcelain were
found less often.
to do few, if any, polychrome designs. The
BATAVIA mark is of the
same form as one used by
Samuel Alcock. Next to
the mark is a tally mark,
often used by Samuel Alcock. So who made it?
Look at the picture below
of this beautiful BATAVIA
tea set sent by Mark ArmORIENTAL (S. Alcock)
strong and Murray Weisberg. As you can see, the pattern
BATAVIA is on the rococo form
of the famous Alcock tea set and is
marked with the registration date of
June 14, 1843. Based upon all the
above information, we attribute this
pattern to Samuel Alcock.
Since publication of the Alcock
On to our big find.
We owe thanks to
the White Ironstone
China Association
and its helpful
member, Ernie Derringer, for this one.
As you may recall, the famous
rococo tea set in porcelain by
Alcock had a registration mark of
June 14, 1843. Shown here are
pictures of the teapot and
creamer submitted to Kew by
Samuel Alcock in 1843 to register this most important design.
Imagine, this came from the Alcock factory over 150 years ago!!
Certainly we were impressed.
bookBATAVIA
let, we
also
added
another
border
design
to our
two
former
ones.
The
three border designs are now categorized as Scrolled,
Scrolled and Striated, and Patterned Border. The first
two border designs are seen on KREMLIN. The Patterned Border, seen on this HYSON platter (right), incorporates a design from the
HYSON pattern. This Patterned Border incorporating
different designs is the one
seen most frequently on
Alcock’s patterns.
One of the other fabulous discoveries we made had to do
with the pattern, BATAVIA. We, along with the Transferware Club, have diligently searched for the maker of
this pattern. From time to time, it was believed the pattern was made by John and George Alcock, Ridgway, or
Samuel Alcock. Below you will see some clues to aid you
in deciding who made this pattern. There are two pictures of the pattern and its marks. The one on the left is
a blue transferware plate called
NAPIER, also made in flow
blue by
John
and
George
Alcock.
It is the
same
design
as the
pattern on the right which is a copy of the polychrome
pattern, BATAVIA. Looking at these two patterns,
we do not believe that the
Alcock brothers made BATAVIA since they appeared
When we started this research over one year ago,
we had identified 29 Alcock
patterns. To date, including those mentioned here, we
have now discovered 49 patterns and an additional 7 unknowns. Of the identified patterns, we found 43 in flow
blue and 16 in mulberry. Almost one half of the patterns
we found have added color. These designs are now in
the Pattern Identification Database for you to admire.
5
Bear Grease to Bloater Paste
By Ellen Hill
and some designs won medals
at the Exhibition of 1851.
Pot-lids were an early form of marketing using four-color prints to help
sell the products contained in the
pots. Prior to 1830, similar pot-lids
were printed in either blue or black
and simply described the content and
manufacturer. The printed designs
were attractive and first became
popular in the 1840s and 1850s. The first products appearing in these pots were mainly cosmetic; bear grease
(perfumed) which was used to
sleek men’s hair, pomatum or
In addition to the pots/lids the
colorful designs were used on
other items of pottery – jars,
bottles (vases), spill vases and
tobacco jars; some of which had
the mulberry or flow blue marble or seaweed ground or border. The jars were used for slightly more liquid contents
than the stuff put-up in pots; fish or meat pastes were common. (Used for sandwiches in England. The nearest American equivalent to fish paste is finely minced tuna fish and
the only meat paste I know of is Deviled Ham.) The bottles/vases were filled with liquids such as lobster sauce, herring sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Other items were
made with Pratt designs such as tea sets, candlesticks, jugs,
cups, etc. – anything other than a pot/lid is called ‘ware’. In
the list which follows, pieces belong to Ellen Hill unless
otherwise noted. Photographs are on page 7 and page 24.
Veritable
Graisse
d’Ours real bear
fat
LIDS/POTS
1. Lady, Boy and Mandoline
lid/base
2. Strasburg
lid/base
3. Peasant Boys
lid
4. All-over Marble
lid/base
Graisse
d’Ours du
Nord bear
grease of
the North
toilet salve, cold cream and
cherry tooth paste. Food
products
were also included: anchovy paste,
chocolate paste, potted meats,
shrimp paste and my favorite,
bloater paste! (Bloaters are herrings
which have been lightly smoked and
salted.) The pots/lids were probably sealed with sealing wax and had
a paper label stating the contents.
WARE/JARS
5. Uncle Tom and Eva jar
6. Passing the Pipe
jar
7. All-over Seaweed
jar
Sapira collection
Why would four-color printed lids be of interest to collectors of flow blue and mulberry? Because some of the
lids/pots had a background or border of either ‘marble’
or ‘seaweed’ which was transfer printed in mulberry or
more rarely in flow blue. These pots/lids were manufactured by T. J. & J. Mayer, F. & R. Pratt, J. Ridgway and
others. The lids/pots are usually called Pratt or Prattware
and most people collect only the lids as the base of the
pot, if not decorated with seaweed or marble, was plain
white and was often discarded. Some stores offered a
credit on clean returned lids/bases – recycling began
early! The lids/pots measured from 3” to 5”, some were
registered designs with the usual registration diamond
WARE/SPILL VASES
10. The Smokers
WARE/BOTTLES (VASES)
8a. Red Bull Inn/
bottle
8b. Skewbald Horse
9a. 1851 Exhibition/
bottle
9b. Brown transfer
spill
Neff collection
mul seaweed Pratt
mul/fb marble Mayer
mul seaweed Pratt
mul marble Unknown
mul seaweed Pratt
mul seaweed Pratt
mul seaweed Unknown
mul seaweed
Pratt
mul seaweed
Pratt
mul seaweed
Pratt
WARE/TOBACCO JARS
I have never seen a tobacco jar for sale; doubtless they are
out there just waiting for you to find! I have seen lids/pots
with flow blue seaweed ground/borders both in antique
shops and on eBay, but they were very expensive! Most of
the material in this article comes from a wonderful book:
Pot-Lids and other Coloured Printed Staffordshire Wares by
K. V. Mortimer – published by England’s Antique Collectors’ Club in 2003.
6
Bear Grease to Bloater Paste
1
2
4
8a
5
8b
3
7
6
9a
9b
10
Above left, NAPIER (J. & G. Alcock) polychrome paste jar (or very small ginger jar)
Above right, larger version in flow blue only
Near right, red ground Prattware mug
Far right, mulberry polychrome paste pot or
powder jar
7
A Snug Little Nest
2
1
3
1. ARGYLE (Grindley) 9, 10, 11.25, 12.75, 15.25, 17, 19, 21 inch platters - Boyer
2. Gaudy Half-Ripe Strawberry (unknown) 5
inch fruit bowl, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 inch plates - Holm
3. CRESCENT (Grindley) 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 inch platters - Washer
4
5
6
4. BOCHARA (James Edwards) 13.75 & 17.75 inch platters with “cookie cutter corners” - Ferriani
5. COREAN (Podmore
Walker) 7, 8, 8.75, 9.75, 10.25, 10.75 inch plates - Kamerance 6. RHONE SCENERY (T J & J Mayer) 10.25, 10.5, 16, 18, 20 inch
platters - Krainik
7
8
9
7. LONSDALE (Ridgways) 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 inch platters - Neff 8. PINWHEEL (unknown) 6, 7, 8, 9 inch Gaudy plates - Holm
9. NON PAREIL (Burgess & Leigh) 7.25, 8, 9.5, 12, 13.75, 15.5, 17.5, 19.5, 22 inch platters - Mead
10
11
12
10. KIRKEE (Meir) 12 inch drainer, 14, 16, 18, 20 inch platters - file photo 11. BOCHARA (J. Edwards) 9 platters in 3 sizes - Castle
12. FORMOSA (T J & J Mayer) 12.25, 12.5, 15.5, 16 inch platters - Preston
8
A Snug Little Nest
The Victorian potters created an efficient method for presenting and storing basic dinner service items:
the nest. With increments between one and two inches, plates, platters, soup bowls and serving bowls
were designed to fit snugly inside one another, giving the appearance of a tidy bird's nest. If you have
ever struggled with the Tupperware, Rubbermaid and generic plastic containers that spill from American
cabinets, you will appreciate the beauty and compact storage of a simple ironstone nest.
SHANGHAI (Grindley) 6, 7, 9, 10, 12,
14, 16, 18, 20 inch platters - Hohl
ARGYLE (Grindley) 6, 7, 8,
9, 10 inch plates - Holm
CAMBRIDGE (Meakin) 7, 8,
9, 10 inch plates - Holm
VINCENNES (Alcock) 10.5, 12, 15.5,
17.5, 20 inch 8-panel platters - Alexander
BOCHARA (J. Edwards)
3.75, 4.75, 7.25, 8.5, 9, 10
inch plates - Ferriani
BEAUTIES OF CHINA
(Mellor Venables) 7.5, 8.25,
9.5 inch plates - Kamerance
PORTMAN (Grindley) 7, 8,
9, 10 inch plates - Holm
Marble (unknown) four
mulberry child’s dinner set
platters - Hill
DOGWOOD (Minton)
four flow blue child’s
dinner set platters Sapira
Possibly LAZULI (unknown)
four flow blue child’s dinner set
platters - Sapira
CHINESE BELLS (Davenport) three polychrome child’s dinner set platters - Sapira
9
A Snug Little Nest
MARCHEL NEIL (Grindley) 8, 8.75,
10 inch oval vegetable bowls - Provine
COLONIAL (J & G Meakin) 10.25, 12,
14, 16, 18 inch platters - Padilla
Bill Wetherton’s nesting instinct took hold and wouldn’t let go. Above is his stacked Eagle’s Nest of COREAN (Podmore Walker)
mulberry 9.75, 7.75, 6.75 inch plates, 6.25, 6 inch saucers, 5.25 inch berry bowl, 3.5 inch cup, and 4.25 inch cup plate.
VINCENNES (Alcock) 8, 9.75,
12 inch 12-panel potato bowls Alexander
COREAN (Podmore Walker)
9.5, 9.75, 10.25 inch soup
bowls - Kamerance
VINCENNES (Alcock) 8, 9.5,
10.5 inch 12-panel soup bowls
- Alexander
MARIGOLD (B & B) 3 platters - file photo
MARCHEL NEIL (Grindley) 9, 10, 12,
14, 16, 18, 20 inch platters - Provine
SHANGHAI
(Grindley) 6,
7, 8, 9, 10 inch
plates - Hohl
NORMANDY (Johnson Bros), left, 6 platters
ST. LOUIS (Johnson Bros), right, 3 platters
file photo
file photo
1
Not a nest or a stack, but a
TOWER of 27
BOCHARA (J. Edwards)
mulberry cup plates Castle
My Two Cents Worth
by Ellen G. King
Past President and Club Historian
With the holidays fast approaching, my mind begins to wander toward things of the past. With the
chilly fall evenings and the golden leaves all flying around, our convention of last summer seems
long ago instead of just a few months back. As I began to think about this column, it crossed my
mind that I wish, for just this issue, that I could call it "unexpected treasures". That is what this
last convention gave to me. I know that everyone has heard me say repeatedly, that to get the very
best from this club you need to attend an international convention. It is the way to cement friendships that have long ranging after-effects in ways you cannot imagine. Sometimes it is in finding
that long lost last piece to a set you cherish and wanted to complete. It can be seeing a true rarity you never knew even existed. This year for me, it was about kindness and sharing and genuine caring friendship - exhibited not once, not twice but
three times toward me. In the picture accompanying this article you will see two
beautiful little mugs which appeared earlier in an article on German production. The
scenes on these little mugs have very special meaning to me and when I remarked on
them, they became a gift to me from Cindy and Phil Neff. The wee Scots doll was a
loving reminder from Jackie Casey that being of Scottish heritage is a wonderful
thing, but having an English friend who understands that is even better. The lovely
undertray in the back was a treat from Judy and Kim Boyer. While shopping on their
way to convention, they found this Scottish-made piece and bought it as a surprise
for me. I am not sure I am deserving of such friends, but I do know if I had not attended club conventions in the past, I would have never met any of these wonderful
people. They are my unexpected treasures and I am blessed and grateful for their
warmth, smiles and friendships. Thank you Cindy, Phil, Jackie, Judy and Kim, for
your generous hearts.
Please come to the FBICC convention next year. You will never know what delights wait there for you unless you do, and
in the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season from turkey to candy canes. For this time, that is my two cents worth.
Invitation to White Ironstone Meeting
The White Ironstone China Association invites all members of the Flow Blue International Collectors' Club to the
Saturday portion of its May 3, 2013, annual convention
held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2004 Greenspring Drive,
Timonium, Maryland. WICA membership hopes you can
join us that Saturday to
Miranda Goodby
hear two lectures
by the renowned
Miranda Goodby of
The Potteries Museum of Stoke,
land. Her topics are
“Beer Shops and Bread Riots” and “Mason, Etc.” You are also invited for a
delicious lunch. Cost for the three events is set at a very reasonable $25. One
may send a check to David Klein, Treasurer, 1513 Perry St., Davenport, Iowa
52803, before April 15, 2013. If there are questions please contact Jane Diemer,
Program Committee at pahbubba@comcast.net or 302-475-7412. We hope
to see you there.
1
The Rare and Unusual Piece
By Warren Macy
ROYAL
LILY well and
tree platter I
have ever
seen or heard
of. It had
magnificent
deep blue
color and
measured a
whopping 21
X 17 inches.
We have been doing the Rare and
Unusual program long enough now
that each year I worry that we will
not have as many participants or
that the pieces will not be as rare or
unusual as those we have come to
expect. Each year club members
have proved that I worry needlessly. This year was certainly no exception. The R&U
just keeps coming!
The second piece, while not as large,
was just as rare - a wine coaster.
Someone in the audience thought it
might be a tray for a flower or cache
pot, but on this day it held a bottle
of wine, so it was a wine coaster!
I must admit I was quite disappointed with Charlie
Washer and the piece he
brought to Springfield this
year. Oh, it was rare and
unusual enough. Charlie
brought an exquisite square
flow blue potpourri dating to
1845-55. It was marked Mason’s
Patent Ironstone and was in the
YEDO pattern. The only questionable thing about it was
After a year’s absence it was good to have Louise and Len
Mason back at the convention. They are always very willing to bring and share R&U pieces from their wonderful
collection. This
year they brought
a rare, large soup
tureen in a
SCOTT'S BAR
variant. Making
it most unusual
was the fact that
it was a Spanish
piece made by
Pickman & Co.
whether or not the finial was meant to hold a candle.
My disappointment centered around the fact that Charlie, knowing full well that Connie and I love and collect
potpourris, took it back to Illinois rather than allowing
us to add it to our collection in Indiana.
The same goes for
Bonne and Bob Hohl.
They are always willing
to bring R&U pieces
from their extensive
collection. This year
they brought an
AMOY (Davenport)
teapot in a previously
Out-going President Jerry and out-going First Lady Margaret Taylor squeezed a couple R&U pieces into their
car to bring and share with us common folk. Having
amassed every flow blue and polychrome syrup known
to man, a full set of CLARENCE (Grindley), a dazzling
display of poly and colored-ground pieces, the Taylors
seem to have turned to collecting R&U pieces of
ROYAL LILY (aka "Bluebell"). They brought the only
1
The Rare and Unusual Piece
unseen
body style
and a rare
egg coddling set
that featured three
egg cups
and three
matching
egg coddlers on a
handled tray. Only at our convention can you see such
rare and unusual items!
that the only two known Warwick heart-shaped lidded
bowls would be from a single mold but that obviously
was not the case!
Marilyn Holm, another
reliable regular at the R&U
program brought a gorgeous chamberstick in an
unidentified pattern.
Finally, another reminder about the extended R&U program next year. Our normal R&U event will be followed
by a PowerPoint presentation “Living With Rare and Unusual Flow Blue and Mulberry.” Each year I see all of the
wonderful R&U pieces you bring to the convention and
how they look sitting on a draped table, but I frequently
wonder how they look and how they are displayed in
your homes. Our “Living with R&U Flow Blue and Mulberry” program will provide the answer.
If you attended the convention, you saw a couple
of extremely rare Warwick
pieces. Several months
ago I received an email
from Bill Wetherton with a picture of a covered heartshaped dish in the PANSY pattern by Warwick China
Co. topped with a small butterfly-shaped finial. He had
just bought it on eBay and wanted to know if I had ever
seen one and if it was worthy of the R&U program. I
replied that it was, indeed, rare and unusual and I had
only seen one other - in fact, I was looking at the other
one sitting on my desk. A few weeks later we were meeting at the Taylor’s for dinner, so I asked Bill to bring the
covered dish along so we could compare them. When
Bill got his out I thought it looked larger than mine.
We are
asking
you to
take
some
high
quality
photos
of your
R&U
pieces in
their
“natural
habitat”
as you see them every day and send them to me at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx or mail them to me at xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
With the help of Margaret Taylor, we plan to incorporate
your pictures into what has the potential to be one of the
most interest- ing programs we have had at our
convention. However,
it will only be as good as your make it by sending your
pictures. Now is the time…..go get started!
As I was writing this article I just received an email containing the first five pictures for the program. They were
from that despicable Charlie Washer showing his precious little potpourri sitting between a pair of flow blue
candlesticks on his dining room table!
When I unpacked mine and we placed them side by side,
Bill’s was obviously at least 50% bigger than mine.
(That line was edited by Editor Cindy!) You would think
1
From the Pattern Identification Desk
By Helen Swan, Education Committee Chair
Have you ever wondered what is on our Pattern Identification Database? I did, and decided to find out.
The answer: There is a tremendous amount to make you more knowledgeable about your beloved flow
blue and mulberry. As of today, 1685 patterns are listed for your review. Of those patterns, 1376 are
flow blue, 350 are mulberry, and 254 have additional color seen in either ground color or polychrome.
What surprised me most was the number of listed patterns with additional color. This is likely due to the
recent submission of Samuel Alcock pieces who made many of his patterns with color added.
New to the database is the ability to find makers by their initials. For example, login to the Members
Only section (www.flowblue.org), select Resources and then Pattern Identification Database. Click on the tab marked
"Initials" and enter the initials you have found on a piece. It should tell you who the maker is. This category is just being
developed and needs your help. If you have a flow blue or mulberry pattern with initials in the backstamp and know the
maker, please send this information to me. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI will happily add it to our current database.
Speaking of sending patterns, I would like to thank Eric Brown for his recent contributions
which are shown from left to right, SYRIAN (Grindley) and
TULIP TREE (Peter Holdcroft). Eric reviewed his collection on
the database and found patterns that were not listed. Thankfully,
he sent pictures of these patterns and their marks. They are now
proudly displayed on the database. If each of you would follow
Eric’s lead, it is believed that we could increase our patterns by 900
entries. After all, it takes a village to build a database.
Pattern Request
By Judy Boyer
Since this issue falls during the month of November, which includes Thanksgiving, I wanted to thank
everyone who has helped the Pattern Identification Database. This project was a tremendous undertaking for Helen and Jim Swan, and with the help of several members, and all of you who have sent in your
patterns, the PID has grown by leaps and bounds. Patterns have been found that we never knew existed,
and there are still quite a few patterns that we do know are out there, but do not have pictures for as yet.
So keep looking! If you are not sure if we have the pattern, it is easy to get on the website and check it
out. All you need to do is log in under your member password and you can access the PID. While you
are logged in, check out the other new information that Ken Gallagher, Regional Directors, and others
have added. If you have not been on the website in the past few months, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.
1.
2.
Two of the newest pattern additions to Pattern
ID are (Fig. 1) MEMPHIS (unknown), a polychrome design, and (Fig. 2) a Minton & Boyle
polychrome design (pattern name unknown).
Does anyone have pieces of flow blue or mulberry in the patterns below? If so, please send a
picture to Helen Swan at
Jim.Helen.Swan@gmail.com.
Needed: ACORN (Furnivals);
GAME BIRDS (Adams); GAME BIRDS (Copeland); HARVEST (Minton); HARVEST (Sampson Hancock & Sons);
HARVEST (Wilkinson); MAYFLOWER (scenic, unknown maker); PLYMOUTH (Brown-Westhead, Moore)
1
Region 4 News: Stage Coach Stops and Flow Blue
By Judy Boyer, Region 4 Director
Club member Rosalie Vandewater Ingle published her first
book this summer. She grew up in a house that served as a
roadhouse/stage stop 100 years before. The stop, outside Orient, Iowa, became the focus for a book that is written for children approximately 4th through 6th grades. But if you are an
adult who likes history, this book is also for you. Everything is
historically accurate, so the reader can find many pieces of
trivia from the past. The main character, Hallie, is fictional,
but she represents many young people from the 1800's who left their homes in
the East to travel to new locations in the West. Vivid description and whimsical
detail in colorful illustrations make the book life-like. Love of flow blue china
prompted the author to weave flow blue into the book through pictures and text.
"I love flow blue. It is everywhere in my house. What better way to promote my passion than to have it be a part of my children's book?" says Rosalie.
Flow blue enthusiasts will enjoy adding this book to their libraries, and it will make a great gift for family and friends. Explore the hidden treasures of the book and follow the questions on a chalkboard as readers are
challenged to learn more about their own family history.
Books may be purchased for $12.00 (plus $3.00 postage) by contacting Rosalie at
rosalievi@aol.com, or they may be purchased at her blog:
www.rosalieinglestagejournal.blogspot.com.
Looking for a Christmas present for a young relative or friend? The book, along with a flow
blue tea cup and saucer, might awaken a new understanding of the past for a child. The book is
targeted to children ages 9–11, an age when a child is more responsible for taking care of precious items. Maybe you could have a tea party, or start a small set of flow blue for a child who
has seen your collection and has shown an interest in it. Take time to talk to a child about what
interests you about your collection. Some of my best memories are of spending time with my
grandma and having lunch with her, using her flow blue soup bowls. My sister remembers going
to her house after school for tea and cookies: nothing fancy, but a memory was made. Who
knows, you may be planting a seed in the mind of a future FBICC member!
“A child’s eyes capture the images of so many things. A child’s heart holds those images and so
much more for a lifetime. We must keep the spirit of what came before alive by passing those images on to the next generation. Today, yesterday, and tomorrow all blend into what we are, what we were, and what we will be.”
- Rosalie Vandewater Ingle
It’s Never Too Late for a Gift
Editor’s Note: Correspondence from FBICC members is always enjoyed. Lee Hochstetler shared an experience that is fairly unusual.
Lee writes: I think I found a new way to use our beautiful dishes. A week ago a man came
into our mall here in Goshen, Indiana, and bought a SHANGHAE (Furnivals) c. 1860, soup
tureen with under tray and ladle. He said his wife loved the dishes and now she will always
have what she always wanted. You see, his wife had just died and he wanted the tureen for
her ashes. I am a pastor and have a number of times had committal services in which an urn
was buried containing the ashes. I did not find out whether he was going to bury it or set it
on his mantel.
1
Bill Leach Profile
William H. Grindley, the potter of the pattern
GIRONDE, traveled there on vacations. Today, we have
10 place settings of GIRONDE and every conceivable
piece they made (we think). In addition, Rebecca likes
razor boxes, creamers, and butter pats. I like brush
stroke and the Inverted Diamond body shape. We have a
few pieces in a pattern reminiscent of VINE BORDER
(J M & P Bell), but not identical. In total, we have about
700 cataloged pieces. I started using “Collectify My
Stuff” (www.collectify.com) for cataloging our items
when it first came out.
By Bill Leach
Shortly after we moved into our
first house in 1976, my aunt, who
knew my wife Rebecca liked blue,
gave us a blue and white vegetable
dish for our newly purchased
hutch. As we began to look for
other items to fill the hutch, we
came across some plates in the
same pattern as the vegetable dish. CONWAY, made by
both Wood & Sons
and New Wharf
Pottery, soon became
Rebecca’s favorite
pattern and we learned
from a dealer that this
type of dishes was
called "flow blue."
There was a small
antique shop on
Rebecca’s way to work
and she occasionally
stopped to look around and discovered that he
sometimes carried this china called flow blue, too.
We first heard about the Club when reading an article in
our local paper about the Strong Museum in Rochester
and its collection of flow blue. At the end of the article
there was a reference to the newly formed Flow Blue
International Collectors' Club. We made the two hour
trip to Rochester from our home, took copious notes of
pieces we saw in the collection and bought two Petra
Williams books in the Strong Museum bookstore. Later
that year, we were in at an antique show and talked to a
husband and wife who had flow blue in their booth.
Jerry and Judy Peabody were anxious for us to join
FBICC, which we did in 1989. I began to get to know
club members because I was starting to bid against them
at auctions. Dave Crumb, George Genzel, Bob Hohl,
and Dennis Noyes were all up in my neck of the woods,
unfortunately. Dennis and I became good friends and
later we did shows together.
I am interested in history and the early china patterns
sparked my curiosity. We purchased a 9-inch water
pitcher in an unknown flow blue pattern (we couldn’t
read the pattern name, as only four letters were visible),
and then several months later we were at an auction
where 60 pieces of the same pattern were for sale. An
antique dealer that we had gotten to know was there and
she told us she wouldn’t bid against us, so we were able
to get all 60 pieces, sold as one lot, for $125. The set
After being part of the club for several years, I worked
with Dave Crumb on the 1999 Rochester Convention, as
he was cochair but in
Yugoslavia
for about
five months
prior to the
convention.
I also chaired
the 2003
Philadelphia
convention
and the 2009
2003 - Vivian Kromer, Jan Schomas, Bill
St. Louis
Leach, Ray Schomas
convention.
Eventually, I wrote a column for Blue Berry Notes
entitled “Know Your Pattern.” I wanted to know the
origins of the names of flow blue and mulberry patterns,
so I searched them out and launched an educational
column. I enjoyed doing that research.
included two lidded vegetables bowls. Thus started our
set of GIRONDE (pronounced je rond) by W. H.
Grindley. Studying the name, I discovered that
GIRONDE is the name of the river in France which
runs through the city of Bordeaux. My belief is that
1
Bill Leach Profile
UNKNOWN teapot
Inverted Diamond body shape
Left, GIRONDE (Grindley) place setting
Above, table set for dinner
Right, teapot and sugar
Wall display of
plates and platters in various
patterns
An aunt’s gift started the journey to a hutch filled with
those blue and white dishes.
UNKNOWN
tea set
in the
Inverted
Diamond
body shape.
Using a divided wooden drawer to display creamers.
1
A Season of Good Wishes
Dan &
Haya
Sapira
Ellen G.
King
Len & Louise Mason
Warren and
Connie Macy
Joe & Helen Pape
John &
Brenda
Meyer
Paul & Judith
Boles
Ralph Escudero
Bob & Nancy Ferriani
Kim & Judy Boyer
John & Laurel
Provine
Answer to Quiz Question
on Page 19 is...
Obama
Bluebell
States
Jan Kobach
Charlie &
Dorothy
Washer
(1)
1
Quiz Corner
Last Quiz Solution
Who is the person and the scene shown on the jug?
My answer - Daniel in the Lions' Den Am I right or wrong?
George Wells posed this answer - The man is Van Amburgh, an
American lion tamer. He is dressed in Roman garb to simulate
Daniel and the lions, but actually Daniel would have been naked
or in rags. The Romans weren't around yet, but it soothed the
Victorian sensibilities to have Van Amburgh dressed as such.
By Dan Sapira
Correct! The jug shows the famous American lion tamer Isaac A. Van Amburgh and his menagerie
of lions. It was probably made in Staffordshire in 1839 to coincide with Van Amburgh's arrival and
tour in the UK in that year.
Quiz Corner has a new format. In each issue I will show an item, ask a question and give a possible answer. You
decide whether I am right or wrong. If the answer is incorrect, send your solution to the editor (contact info on page 2) or to
me at martens@zahav.net.il.
December Quiz - What is the use of this item?
My answer is: A small handkerchief hanger.
Am I right or wrong? What do you think?
Guest Quiz Masters are being sought! If you have an
idea for a Quiz, send it to the editor or to Dan at
martens@zahav.net.il.
In the last issue
Guest Quiz Master,
Warren Macy asked the question,
Besides two rare and
unusual pieces of flow blue
(1), the picture represents
the upcoming presidential
election.
Who will prevail the Romney Red ground
states
or the Obama Bluebell
states?
The answer is on page 18.
Guest Quiz Master,
Bob Ferriani asks,
While on a cruise of the
Caribbean earlier this year
we came across a tiny
museum (and gift shop!) in
Antigua. In one of the
showcases was a flow blue
shard that caught my eye as
it was marked as an "18th
century piece." We know it's
not that old (from the
1700s), but can you identify
the pattern, and thus the
real date that it was made?
Bob doesn’t have the answer, so
he is counting on one of you to
solve the puzzle!
1
Blueberry Market
Wanted: Child's creamer SCINDE by Alcock.
Wanted badly enough that I will consider a
creamer with damage.
Please contact Mary Mikolaitis,
Each member may send in three “Wanted” items per issue at no
charge. For Sale ads are available at the rate of $5 for one or two
items and $10 for three or four items in one issue. Each ad may
also include one picture. Make checks payable to FBICC and
send to the editor.
Wanted: 1. RHONE SCENERY (T.J. & J. Mayer)
mulberry. Need bowl to a pitcher & bowl set.
2. PANAMA mulberry. Ladle for a soup
tureen.
3. AMOY (Wm. Davenport & Co.) flow blue.
Ewer or water pitcher.
Call Dick Kropp at.
Wanted: Chamber pot GLOIRE DE DIJON
(Doulton)
Call Marilyn
Wanted: All in excellent/very good condition.
1. KEELE with gold by Grindley, 14" and 16"
platters, 8.5" water pitcher, soup tureen/
underplate, bone dishes.
2. LORNE - four bone dishes.
3. Johnson Brothers - GEORGIA 8.5 inch
water pitcher, and 3 OXFORD bone dishes,
with gold.
Wanted: Large La Belle jardiniere, pre-1900 syrup
pitchers and unusual polychrome pieces.
Contact Jerry & Margaret Taylor at
Wanted: SHELL by E. Challinor dinner plates and
serving pieces.
Wanted: A small platter in the WATTEAU pattern by
Doulton. Approximately 9" X 7". May be
called a Bacon Platter. Contact Judith Boles,.
Wanted: CASHMERE ladle for soup tureen. Just
reward for same. Contact Lenny Sturmak at
Wanted: Any pieces of KIN-SHAN pattern flow blue in
excellent condition. Contact Gil Townsend at
Wanted: Looking for large dinner plates - 9.5-10 inches in CLIFTON by Grindley that will be used for
special occasions. Plates do not have to be in
pristine condition. Small chips are acceptable but
no hairlines, please.
Wanted: 1. TULIP & SPRIG creamer & sugar,
Single Line Primary shape
2. Polychrome mug or loving cup
3. REEDS & FLOWERS brushstroke pieces
Wanted: Lids for flow blue sugar bowls, PELEW by
Challinor & AMOY by Davenport (primary
shapes only.)
Wanted: 1. MELBOURNE Egg Cups
2. Rare or unusual pieces of WALDORF
3. Rare or unusual pieces of LANCASTER
Wanted: 1. Basin for wash set: VIENNA by Johnson
Bros. We have the ewer.
2. Lid for a butter dish: PORTMAN by
Grindley. Must have gold.
3. Round undertray for chowder pot/soup
tureen: COLONIAL by J. & G. Meakin.
Wanted: NON PAREIL (Burgess & Leigh) cereal bowls
6 in. dia., egg cups 1-5/8 in. dia. X 2-3/8 in. tall,
footed egg/custard cups 4 in. dia. X 2-3/4 in. tall.
Wanted: I am searching for flow blue plates in the
BROOKLYN pattern by Johnson Bros. I
want dinner plates (10 inch), salad or butter
plates in the 9 inch, 8 inch or the 7.5 inch
sizes.
Please contact Judy Handmaker by email at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or snail mail at
2
Blueberry Market
Wanted: 1. CASSINA (Davenport) child's pieces.
2. AMOY (Davenport) Gothic style creamer.
Also an undertray to chestnut basket, underplate
for round gravy, rococo style teapot, sugar and
creamer.
3. SCINDE (Alcock) liner for 8-sided soap dish,
top to master slop jar (dome shape).
Wanted: LUGANO teapot, pitchers, soup tureen with
undertray and ladle, double salts or any rare
pieces. I’m also looking for any double salts
in Flow Blue. Contact: JoAnn Woodall,
FOR SALE: 1. AMOY (Davenport) platter 10x7.5 in.
FOR SALE: NORMANDY (Johnson Bros.) 12 X 16
platter; covered butter; 3 pc sauce, underplate & lid
plus generic Johnson Bros ladle; 10” plate; 7” plate.
FOR SALE: 1. 37 flow blue butterpats including, GRACE,
FAIRY VILLAS, TOURAINE, MARLBOROUGH and 12 butterpats in WAVERLY.
2. 10 inch plates in TOURAINE and TURIN
3. 10.5 inch plates in SCINDE and NING PO
4. Two 9.25 inch flanged soup bowls in
NORMANDY
5. 9 inch WALDORF round/open vegetable bowl
6. flow blue handless cups & saucers - 2 in
CHAPOO, 2 in THE TEMPLE, 1 in HINDUSTAN
Any interest, contact
2. Flow Blue sugar bowl with lid, oriental pat
tern, maker unknown, beautiful dark color.
3. AMOY (Davenport) eight 10 in. plates.
4. AMOY (Davenport) 7.25 in. pitcher.
For pricing and further description, contact:
FOR SALE: 1. SOBRAON (Samuel
Alcock) 11" tall pitcher and
12.5" wide wash bowl beautiful dark color. The
wash bowl has a small hairline
in the back rim that does not
go through to the front.
$1950.00.
1.
6.
FOR SALE:
Unique Keepsake Jewelry from
Broken China
Custom Designed by
FOR SALE: Very Rare CHEN-SI (Meir) c.1835, foot
bath 13.25" wide X 19" long X 9" high. Very
Fine condition and color. This is the actual
footbath seen in Petra Williams book Flow Blue
China & Mulberry Ware, 1980, Page 86. (I sent
her the picture.)
$6800.00 Plus shipping.
If you have any
questions, you can
contact
2
Club Bulletin Board
2013 FBICC International Convention
in Columbus, Ohio - July 24-28
PHOTO REQUEST: Send photos of your flow
blue and mulberry pieces with “make-do” repairs
for a funny and nostalgic look at “reduce, reuse,
recycle” in an upcoming BBN. Include the pattern
name and potter, if known. Also, if you are showing a family
piece and know the story behind the “make-do,” please share
that, as well. Please email or paper mail photos to the editor.
(Contact information on page 2)
Calling all flow blue and mulberry lovers! Your
help is needed to spread the word
about our friendly club and the joy we
know from the hunt for our flow blue
and mulberry. Whether you are an
antique dealer, a member with a booth in an
antique mall or a member who just wants to help,
we need to get our membership brochures in
antique shops, malls and at antique shows. We
need YOU! Please contact me to get brochures
and/or a holder that can easily be used on a display
case or tabletop. To get your brochures, call or
email Brenda Meyer
Color
photos
in BBN
are provided by
your generous
contributions to
FBICEF.
A Table
of
English
Registration Marks
is available on:
www.flowblue.org
Our new club web site is a “visualbased" experience where photos play an
important role. To keep the site fresh
and drawing visitors (we currently average over a
1,000 visits per month from 30 different countries), large numbers of photos are needed so we
always have “something new” for visitors to see.
Every club member has a special piece of flow
blue, albeit a piece or a collection… and would
like to show it off… to literally, the world! This is
your chance. Take a digital photo of that special
piece and email it to me at
surf4blue@earthlink.net. The photos will be used
in the “Show Me Your Blue” or the “Rare and
Unusual” sections of the web site. The photo
presentation will be with or without your name,
your preference. Please do not edit the photos
and make them as large as your camera will allow.
The password for the Members Only portion of
the club website (www.flowblue.org) was
changed in July. It is found on the cover of your
2012 Roster Supplement mailed with the Aug/
Sept BBN. If you have questions contact the Webmaster
or your Regional Director.
FBICC has a new look to the website.
The website contains not only the
fabulous Pattern ID Database, but also
archived copies of Blue Berry Notes in
bright digital color, a Message Board, articles of
interest to collectors, convention news and
constantly changing photos and information.
The web address is easy to remember,
www.flowblue.org or www.flowblue.com both take you to the same site.
Condolences - Flikeid
FBICC members extend their deepest sympathy to wife
Colleen, the family and friends of Douglas Flikeid, 73, of
Enid, Oklahoma. Doug, a member of Region 5, passed
away unexpectedly on October 13, 2012.
Doug at his first convention - 2009
2
View all of
the wonderful photos
in this BBN issue
in full color at
www.flowblue.org.
Holiday Bluetique
FBICC educational materials are being offered to flow blue lovers just in time for the holidays. Gift giving has never been
so easy! Produced by the FBICC Educational Committee and club experts, these publications will improve pattern identification skills and impart an understanding of the histories and patterns of prominent potters. These books, booklets, and
DVDs provide readers in-depth study of special areas of flow blue and mulberry china, while the fabulous cookbooks will
appeal to anyone who loves good food served on gorgeous dishes.
Prices are listed below. There is an additional $3.00 mailing cost for each item in the United States only.
International shipping will be figured on actual mailing costs. Please make checks payable to FBICC. Contact Helen Swan at
jim.helen.swan@gmail.com or at the phone number in the club roster for ordering and mailing costs.
Flow Blue China:
Additional Patterns
and New Information
by Norma Jean
Hoener
$15 (+3)
Flow Blue and
Mulberry:
Teapot Body Styles
by an FBICC Educational Sub-committee
$12 (+3)
Samuel Alcock
by Jan Kobach &
Helen Swan
Booklet - $10 (+3)
DVD - $10 (+3)
The Johnson Bros. - A Dynasty
in Clay by William VanBuskirk
$7 (+3)
Detecting
Restorations
by Heidi Woolf
and the Education
Committee
$5 (+3)
DVD - Personal China of
Victorian Men & Women by
Ellen Hill & Helen Swan
$10 (+3)
Cheese Under Blue
Cheese keepers are
illustrated in color
with the recipes.
$5 (+3)
Booklet - $10 (+3)
DVD - $10 (+3)
William Harry Grindley and His Flow Blue Dishes and
William H. Grindley - Part II by William VanBuskirk
Each booklet - $7 (+3)
2
Soups in Blue
Soup and sauce
tureens highlight
the recipes.
$5 (+3)
Additional Color
on Flow Blue or
Mulberry China
by Ellen Hill,
Helen Swan
& the Education
Sub-Committee
The Meigh Potters…
by Bonne Hohl
$7 (+3)
More Paste Jars and Pot Lids
BRITISH SCENERY (Davenport)
flow blue paste pot
Tooth
Powder
Flow blue
pot lid
Swinton’s English Primrose
Tooth Paste - London
Flow blue with polychrome possibly Minton.
Marked “BB” for Best Body, c.1846 - face cream jar
Veritable Moelle De Boeuf - L.T. Piver, 155Rue St. Martin 155, Paris
And 160 Regent Street London - ox marrow pomade - used for hair health
Veritable Moelle De Boeuf
L.T. Piver
10 Boular De Strasbourg,
Paris
And Regent Street 160
London
ox marrow pomade
UNKNOWN possibly early Wedgewood
PEARL is impressed on bottom
flow blue paste pot
Special thanks to Dan & Haya Sapira for sharing their
Prattware collection with us.
2
Veritable Moelle De Boeuf
De Marson - Chetelat
15 Rue St. Martin, Paris.
ox marrow pomade
Veritable Moelle De Boeuf
ox cream